In modern times, mankind believes they know all that there is to know about the world around them. Arrogant in their ignorance, they travel through life completely unaware of the other beings in their midst, the other Children of Creation. Celestial Angels and Fallen walk amongst them unseen, while the third beings of creation, the Guardians, live along side them, protecting them from attacks of the Fallen. Daniella Rossi is a nineteen year old college student who sees the world quite differently than those around her. From infancy, she was aware of the beings that walked among her kind who were not like them, as well as her own personal Guardian who watched over her. Dani always knew she was different, but she never dreamed the full scope of her importance. Follow Dani as her life takes an unexpected turn when a new Guardian is assigned to replace her lifelong companion and friend. Much older, more experienced, and socially awkward, Nathaniel must learn to adjust himself to fit into Dani’s world in order to guard her without drawing unwanted attention. While the Fallen are determined to capture Dani, she and Nathaniel find themselves developing a bond that goes far beyond that of Guardian and charge. Facing the strains of a brewing war and forbidden affections, will they be ready for the coming battle? Will Dani be able to handle the truth of her existence and destiny?

Today we have the amazing and very talented J.D. Watts with us here on the blog. I am very excited to share her book and spend the day talking about her amazing book Convergence! I want to thank her for doing being here and say thanks to TWCS Publishing for letting me join in this great Blog Tour!

So with all the Thanks out of the way its now time to check out J.D Watts amazing guest post!

YEAH it's time for the TWCS Young Adult Blog Tour. I'm so thankful to have the amazing author J.D. Watts here on the blog today with her amazing book Convergence! So today we will have the following posted on the blog:

A guest post

A Giveaway ( 2 ebooks and 2 sets of bookmarks of all the books in the tour)

And finally my review of Convergence!!!

So there is what I have planned for today on the blog, make sure you hang around some and check out the amazing posts!!!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

(I got this beautiful picture from We Heart It...Go check it out and many others)

Alright so this is going to be a new feature here on the blog...Once a month I will be doing a TBR List Vid for all of you to see what I plan on reading for that whole month! YEAH!!! I hope you all will comment and let me know what is on your TBR list for that month as well! Enjoy the vid...

On
My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we
haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are
anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If
you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then
you can find more info here. (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren)

My
On My Wishlist includes books that are older and already out and ones
that are brand new or not even out yet! So lets get to it. Today I
bring you 4 books that I am dying to get my hands on! I will be
updating these when I get any of these books...

What causes picture-perfect suburban Oakwood residents, MacKenzie, Roxie, Sara, and Georgia to desert their therapist fly off to Florence? Answer: A romantic Italian movie that prompts Roxie to ask: “If Italy is so healing and therapeoutic what are we doing in Ohio?” Even Sara, the most duty-bound of the group, finally joins the pact they dub “The Crazy Ladies of Oakwood,” and they all find themselves in Florence a week later.

Guess what...Its Monday! What are you reading this week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Book Journey.

Hey everyone... there are a few announcements on this IMM... Make sure you watch the 3 min vid so you can even get a chance to win a great book!!!

In my mailbox is a meme created by Kristi at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, from the bookstore, or from trades.

YEAH!! I now have over 100 followers! Thanks to all of you that hit that follow button. Now its time to announce the winner of the 100 Followers Giveaway. This person has 48 hrs to get back to me, if this person doesn't then I will chose another winner! So with that being said....the winner of 100 Followers Giveaway here at Ali's Bookshelf is.....

CharliDenae

Thanks again everyone for hitting that follow button. I will be doing some more giveaways real soon. Actually I'm doing one for the book Wherever You Go by Heather Davis. All you need to do is check out my IMM that will be posted later today to find out the details of the giveaway!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

In a world where water and earth teem with life, Serafay is an anomaly. The result of genetic experiments on her mother's water-borne line Serafay will have to face the very people responsible to discover who she really is. But is she the only one? All the Fun of YA written for Adults Two Moons of Sera is a Fantasy/Romance and will be released in a serial format. The first volume is just shy of 20,000 words and will be priced at $0.99. Anyone who purchases it will receive all future volumes for free. However if you wait to get it until later, the price will go up with each addition.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

I want to take a few seconds to thank Chelsea Fine for agreeing to write this up for my blog! So with that being said, lets see Why Chelsea Fine (the author of Sophie & Carter) writes YA.

Why I like to write Young Adult Fiction: A soapbox rant by Chelsea Fine.

I’ve got one word for you: DRAMA. That’s it. If I had to sum up why I write young adult novels in a single word, DRAMA would be it. Why? Oh, I don’t know…maybe because drama is what makes the world go ‘round. It also makes the world stop. And then go again.

Posted by
Ali Justice

Guest Post: Why I like to write Young Adult Fiction: A soapbox rant by Chelsea Fine.

Hey everyone, thanks again for hitting that follow button...Finally got 90 followers so its time to announce what books I will be giving away! It's gone from 3 books to 5 so far, I might add some more books so keep watch for the announcement! But right now they are as follows...

Ah yes, Thanksgiving. Nothing says the holidays like sitting around a fully decked out dining room table with mouthwatering temptations waiting to be gobbled up. Everyone waits anxiously for the big reveal… the turkey! Lovingly prepared since early that morning, the turkey is brought out in a covered, silver serving platter. Aunt Edith smacks little Tommy's hand as he attempts to steal a candied yam dripping with marshmallow. The collective breath is held as the silver cover is removed… revealing… a zombie turkey! What—what? That's right folks, this year, we are celebrating this American holiday paranormal style. And what says paranormal holiday better than a walking, talking zombie turkey? This zombie turkey brings you important tidings of great prizes that shall be for all people… who participate and win of course. November 25-27 you could win up to $200 in prizes!

Three days. Four YA paranormal books. Five chances to win!

And who are these crazy paranormal authors? Check them out. It's like the Nightmare Before Christmas, Thanksgiving style!

Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted "Psychic or not, you'll never see the end for this one coming! Emlyn Chand is pioneering 'the next big thing' for YA." ~ Emily Reese, author of Second Death Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Monster Mash: Emlyn says… I. AM. WEREWOLF! And why's that you ask? First off, my name (Chand) literally means moon in Sanskrit. Next, werewolves are super cool--we can blend in with common folk, and then out of nowhere, kapow! I'm a werewolf, and I sure am hungry. Lastly, Team Jacob 100%. Now excuse me while I cock back my head and howl at my namesake.

Patti Larsen, author of Family Magic "Patti Larsen is truly gifted because I read Family Magic cover to cover and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment!" ~ from Goodreads review Sixteen-year-old Sydlynn Hayle is the daughter of a powerful witch and a demon lord, but she just wants to be ordinary. When her coven comes under attack, Syd must face the fact only her power can save her family's magic.

Monster Mash: Patti says… I am a witch. Naturally. I weave spells with my words, cast incantations from my keyboard, mix up the very best potions in my cauldron of documents. You want to stay on my good side. Trust me. Unless you enjoy waking up as something... unnatural. Kimberly Kinrade, author of Forbidden Mind "Forbidden Mind is a thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and eagerly awaiting the next installment." ~Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews Paranormal teens with unimaginable powers. An evil organization with deep secrets. When Sam, a girl who reads minds, meets a boy who controls minds, she discovers her future isn't what she thought. Together they must escape and free the others… or risk losing everything—and everyone—they love. Monster Mash: Kimberly says… I may look like a demon, but I'm actually a succubus. Enchanting and seductive, I weave stories that will fuel your passions and make you fall in love. But be warned… once you fall under the spell of my words, your world will never be the same.

John Corwin, author of The Next Thing I Knew Corwin does a phenomenal job of including humor throughout this novel. This book was like . . . Ghost (the movie) meets The Host (by Stephanie Meyer) meets MIB (Men In Black the movie). ~Maryann, Chapter by Chapter The afterlife is the last thing on Lucy’s mind until she and every other human on the planet drop dead and find themselves in the hereafter. Lucy drags her social life back from the grave and enlists her friends to figure out the rules of the afterlife and, more importantly, to discover who or what killed everyone and why anyone would do such a mean thing. Monster Mash: John says… I am a ninja. After all, vampires are simply ninjas with fangs. They can hide in plain sight, right in your living room. Jump out and scare the wits out of you. Drop a smoke bomb and poof! All you’re left with is stinky smoke in your house and soiled underclothes.

The Prizes

Four $25 Book Entries: For each of the four books in the contest, you can enter to win $25 (up to $100 in giveaways!) Simply buy a copy of the book (each is priced at just 99 cents for this special promotion) and email the proof of purchase for that book OR submit the first sentence of the fifth chapter for that book to ParanormalTurkey@gmail.com. Winners will be chosen randomly. Each person can submit one entry per book. Here are the links for each book:

And... if you buy all FOUR books, you are entered to win the Grand Prize!

The Grand Prize

One randomly selected reader who enters to win all four book prizes (Family Magic, Farsighted, Forbidden Mind and The Next Thing I Knew) will win the grand prize of $100. So go on now and pick up a copy of these fantastic paranormal reads before the zombie turkey eats you! What? Still around? Then enjoy these fun book trailers and Paranormal Turkey Tour trailer. (Then go buy the books.) Also, leave a comment and help your favorite blog host win a $50 prize! Notes:

All winners will be chosen randomly using random.org.

Amazon links are provided, but books purchased through any online vendor will qualify with proof of purchase.

Twilight tempted the imagination. New Moon made readers thirsty for more. Eclipse turned the saga into a worldwide phenomenon. And now, the book that everyone has been waiting for--- Breaking Dawn, the final book in the #1 bestselling Twilight Saga, will take your breath away.

Jen's life of partying and sneaking out has grown stale. So on a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a goody-two-shoes geek, into a "bad boy." As she hangs out with Trevor, however, she finds it's actually kinda fun being a geek. But when Trevor finds out about the bet, Jen must fight for the things she's discovered matter most: friendship, family, and, above all, love.

Today we have the Geek Girl tour here on Ali's Bookshelf. I loved this book and my review for it will be posted here in just a bit. I want to thank Cindy C. Bennett for allowing me to read her wonderful book and reviewing it here on the blog.

Make sure you check out Cindy's blog here !! Also you can read all about this amazing writer here!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving! Its the time to be thankful and this year I'm thankful for all of you,this blog, and of course books! This blog pulled me out of my funk and books I love so much and always have. Thanks to all of you for reading my blog and for for sharing the love of books that I have!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Today I'd like to share an excerpt from Emlyn Chand's hot new paranormal novel, Farsighted(it just released on 10/24). Before diving in, check out this teaser for the book: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Okay, now that you're caught up, on to the excerpt! I hope you'll enjoy it.

When did you have enough confidence in your abilities to officially call yourself a writer? For me, it was when I first received money for my work as a freelance columnist. For you, it may have been when you finished the first chapter of your first novel or won a prize for a short story. Maybe you never had any qualms about saddling yourself with this label. Maybe you still don’t consider yourself a “real writer.” Me? Now I know enough to see that I was a writer long before someone handed me that first paycheck. It’s kind of something you’re born with—like it or not. But being an author, that’s different. The term writer focuses more on the craft—engaging in the actual activity of writing. The term author encompasses not only the craft but also the business aspect of it. So when are you worthy of the label author? Why, when you publish your first book of course! I write this post just days before I make the transition from writer to author. My first novel Farsighted releases on October 24, which means my 26-year-long (AKA life-long) dream is finally coming true. When I look back at the journey that brought me to the peak of this beautiful achievement, I can’t help but think of what I wish I’d have known before starting on my path. I’ve identified 10 lessons I’ve learned along the way. Maybe you already know these things. Maybe you don’t. I’m gonna share ‘em anyway...

Posted by
Ali Justice

Guest Post with Emlyn Chand: 10 Things I wish I would have known before writing my first novel...

Today I'd like to share an excerpt from Emlyn Chand's hot new paranormal novel, Farsighted(it just released on 10/24). Before diving in, check out this teaser for the book: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Okay, now that you're caught up, on to the excerpt! I hope you'll enjoy it.

This is a guest post by Emlyn Chand, author of Farsighted

I am 26-years-old, and I <3 YA books. Now here I sit on the cusp of my big debut as a published author (squeal), but it probably never would have happened if I hadn’t found my affinity for YA. In fact, the first novel I wrote was multicultural literary fiction— it’s never going to be published. I wrote lit fic, because I was trying to prove something to myself, to the world, to somebody. But the book didn’t encapsulate who I am or what makes me a strong writer. So naturally, the story fell flat. I have no idea what made me decide to write YA the second time around. I even remember trying to avoid it. I spent months trying to convince myself that Farsighted was too ambitious of a project. I was this close to writing a historical fiction novel instead. I’m glad I didn’t listen to my inner worrywart, because writing Farsighted is the best thing I’ve ever done. When you find that genre that speaks to you and allows you to speak through it, don’t let that go! Now I’d like to share 10 reasons why I love writing YA. It’s okay if YA isn’t your genre du jour, but don’t force yourself to write something just because the genre is popular or well-respected. Write what your heart wants to write, and the rest will turn out okay. I write YA because...

Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all. Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future

Today I'd like to share an excerpt from Emlyn Chand's hot new paranormal novel, Farsighted(it just released on 10/24). Before diving in, check out this teaser for the book: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Okay, now that you're caught up, on to the excerpt! I hope you'll enjoy it.

Hey everyone...today is Farsighted day here on Ali's Bookshelf!!! I would like to say thanks to Emlyn Chand for allowing me to read her amazing book and for letting me be involved with her blog tour! I loved Farsighted and can't wait to share with all of you why, but that will be later on today! The tour today here on the blog will be broken down into posts! So enjoy...

So lets see the schedule here today for Farsighted day!

First post: an Excerpt from the book...

Second post: Will be my review of Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Third post: Guest post: Why I write YA

Fourth post: Another excerpt from this great bookFifth post: Another guest post: 10 things I wish I would have known before writing my first novel.Six post: Another excerpt from the book

Sunday, November 20, 2011

On November 19th, I got the pleasure of sitting in the Aronoff center in Cincinnati and watched the performance of the Broadway play Wicked. This was a dream come true for me, I had always wanted to see this play live. I’ve always loved the story of the Wizard of Oz and loved the back story Wicked creates for the Two main witches in the Wizard of Oz.

Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob —- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

In my mailbox is a meme created by Kristi at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, from the bookstore, or from trades.

This is a new feature here on Ali's Bookshelf! This is a feature I created and this is a post that I will be showcasing a book that is Right Up My Alley, meaning its a book that is perfect for me to read. A book that fits into my favorite Genre, look, and one that will transport me into the pages! Every week there will be a theme to this feature.

If you are a blogger and would like to do this feature on your blog, help yourself. I don't mind as long as you do let your readers know who hosts it. Also come back to my weekly Right Up My Alley and post your link in a comment so I can also see what book you picked and comment.

I will be posting this feature every Sunday, you can post yours whenever you like!

On
My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we
haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are
anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If
you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then
you can find more info here. (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren)

My
On My Wishlist includes books that are older and already out and ones
that are brand new or not even out yet! So lets get to it. Today I
bring you 4 books that I am dying to get my hands on! I will be
updating these when I get any of these books...